Rictus Assiduous

So why compromise obdurate states
of stable anarchy – by breaking this
rock-hard soil no-one but you sees
brass-bound irony appear an erudite
statement of simple gestures

of course it is wasted – and a rictus of
regret bears witness; it’s a given, the 
nonchalance you’ve come to approve
is because it’s too obvious to discount
as being from someone giving a shit

so you dig for hours and carefully bury
the evidence; yes, it will work properly
and you’ve done what you needed to –
there will be water when tanks run dry
just as you dutifully promised

but what’s missing’s the appeasement,
fatuous praise one usually relied on to
mollify such solitary effort, a massage
of free flow crap for efforts of one who 
paves pathways where there are none

but that’s before the change – there’s
only you to defend the faith now; if it’s
any comfort you needed the exercise
anyway, but you’ve run out of excuses 

and people to blame
© 20 September 2012, I. D. Carswell